Weight scale for vehicle

ABSTRACT

A weight scale for mounting on a vehicle including a reference back member, a pointer member having a pointer extension, a tube mounted on said back member in which the pointer is slidably mounted, a cable connected to said pointer member and extending throughout said tube and from said back member for connection with the chassis of a vehicle and a coil spring upon said cable and against said pointer member and a shoulder on said back member thereby urging said pointer member in an extended position relative to the back member.

United States Patent Kerr 1 51 Nov. 13, 1973 WEIGHT SCALE FOR VEHICLE[76] Inventor: Arnold Kerr, 1010 Third St.,

International Falls, Minn. 56649 [22] Filed: Oct. 4, 1972 [21] Appl.No.: 294,941

[52] 1.1.5. C1. 177/137, 177/233 [51] Int. Cl. G0lg 19/08, GOlg 3/02[58] Field of Search ..177/l36-138, 232, 233

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,689,644 10/1928 Troll177/138 2,687,293 8/1954 Jackson ..177/l37 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 1,190,623 5/1970 Great Britain 177/137 PrimaryExaminer-George H. Miller, Jr. Attorney-Jack W. Wicks et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A weight scale for mounting on a vehicle including areference back member, a pointer member having a pointer extension, atube mounted on said back member in which the pointer is slidablymounted, a cable connected to said pointer member and extendingthroughout said tube and from said back member for connection with thechassis of a vehicle and a coil spring upon said cable and against saidpointer member and a shoulder on said back member thereby urging saidpointer member in an extended position relative to the back member.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures FIG. 4.

PATENTEDnnv 13 Ian 1 WEIGHT SCALE FOR VEHICLE SUMMARY The inventionrelates to an improvement in a device for attachment to a vehicle fordirecting and continuously indicating the weight load, axle limit of thevehicle, road limit and empty weight.

In the drawings forming part of this application:

FIG. I is side elevational view of the rear end portion of'a truckhaving the weight indicating device embodying the invention mountedthereon.

FIG. 2 is affront elevational view of the device.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the pointer member removed from thedevice.

Referring'to the drawings in detail, the truck weight indicating deviceA includes as a part of the housing H the flat back support andreference member to which is connected the spaced side members 12 and14. Each of the side members 12 and 14 is formed with a recess 16 at theouter free edge thereof and extending the length thereof. A transparentremovable front wall 18 is provided which fits into the recesses 16 ofthe side walls 12 and 14 and the lower edge of which bottoms out on thebottom wall 20 secured to the lower ends of the side walls and backsupport. A top member 21 is provided which extends over the upper endsof the side members and which abuts the front wall. The bottom memberprovides a shoulder for the spring hereinafter referred to.

The numeral 22 designates a tube having a substantially rectangularcross section and which is formed of the side walls 24 and 26 connectedto the front wall 28. The wall 26 has a flange 30 extending therefromwhich is used to attach the tube to the. back wall 10 by means of screws32. The width of the wall 24 is less than the width of the ,wall 26 sothat when the tube 22 is mounted on the back 10 the edge of the wall 24is. spaced from the backthereby forming the slot 34 between the edge ofthe wall 24 and the back 10. The back 10 forms a rear wall for the tube22.

Further provided is thepointer member 36 formed of the solid body havinga substantially rectangular transverse cross-section and rectangularlongitudinal section. A hole 38 is formed longitudinally through thepointer body and two set screws 40 and 42 extend into the bodycommunicating with the hole 38. The pointer member 36 is of suchdimensions that it slides freely in the tubes 22 and the pointer has thepointer portion 44 extended therefrom which extends outwardly of thetube and freely through the slot 34 to indicate upon the back 10 ashereinafter set forth.

The numeral 46 designates a cable the upper end of which is securedwithin the hole 38 of the pointer 36 by means of the set screws 40 and42. The cable 46 extends from the pointer member 36 downwardly throughthe tube 22, through a hole in the bottom 20 and out through theflexible tube '48 connected to the bottom 20 by means of the collar 50.Positioned between the lower end of the pointer member 36 and the bottom20 and extending upon the cable 46 is the coil spring 52 which urges thepointer member 36 and the cable into an upward extended position. Thetube 48 is secured to the frame of the truck and extends to a pointadjacent the differential D where the lower end of the cable 46 issecured to the differential as at x. The housing H is secured to thetruck frame member F by means of the bolts 47 and 49.

It will be seen that the pointer member 36 remains at a constantposition relative to the differential D, and as the body and frame ofthe truck move up and down the housing H and back support 10 thereofmove up and down whereby the scale S on the back 10 is moved relative tothe pointer portion 44. The back 10 is provided with the scale marks RL'for road limit, AL for axle limit and EW for empty weight. When thetruck is loaded to the scale mark RL that is the limit of load allowedon a particular road. When the truck is empty, the pointer 44 will be atEW. When the truck has a load so that the pointer is at AL it is thelimit the truck can carry. As the truck is loaded the device tube andhousing move down while the pointer remains stationary.

The devide is installed by raising the truck frame and body which dropsthe wheels clear of the ground. The lower end of the cable 46 is thenfastened to the differential which is when the spring 52 is at fullcompression. The frame and body of the truck is then lowered to theground which gives the empty weight position and the mark EW placed onthe backboard 18 as in FIG. 2. The road limit is then determined,and theRL mark affixed. The axle limit of the truck is determined, and the markAL affixed to back board 18.

The device may be mounted in a horizontal position or in a verticalattitude as illustrated in FIG. 1.

I claim:

1. A weight scale in combination with a vehicle having a framespring-mounted ona chassis, comprising:

a. a reference back member secured to said frame;

b. a pointer member;

0. means slidably mounting said pointer member upon said back member;

(1. means urging said pointer in an extended position relative to saidmounting means;

e. a cable connected at one end to said pointer and extending from saidmounting means and connected at the other end to the chassis of thevehicle so that when a load is placed on the vehicle, said referenceback member slidably moves relative to the pointer thereby indicatingthe weight of the vehicle load on the reference back member.

2.- The device of claim 1 in which said means slidably mounting saidpointer includes a tube in which said pointer is positioned.

3. The device of claim 1 in which a. said urging means is a coil springpositioned against said pointer and b. a shoulder on said back member.

4. The device of claim 1 in which said pointer member includes a bodyhaving a pointer extension.

5. The device of claim 4 in which said means slidably mounting saidpointer includes a tube in which said pointer is positioned.

6. The device of claim 5 in which a. said urging means is a coil springpositioned against said pointer and b. a shoulder on said back member.

7. The device of claim 6 in which said tube includes a slot throughwhich said pointer extension extends and overlies said back member.

1. A weight scale in combination with a vehicle having a framespring-mounted on a chassis, comprising: a. a reference back membersecured to said frame; b. a pointer member; c. means slidably mountingsaid pointer member upon said back member; d. means urging said pointerin an extended position relative to said mounting means; e. a cableconnected at one end to said pointer and extending from said mountingmeans and connected at the other end to the chassis of the vehicle sothat when a load is placed on the vehicle, said reference back memberslidably moves relative to the pointer thereby indicating the weight ofthe vehicle load on the reference back member.
 2. The device of claim 1in which said means slidably mounting said pointer includes a tube inwhich said pointer is positioned.
 3. The device of claim 1 in which a.said urging means is a coil spring positioned against said pointer andb. a shoulder on said back member.
 4. The device of claim 1 in whichsaid pointer member includes a body having a pointer extension.
 5. Thedevice of claim 4 in which said means slidably mounting said pointerincludes a tube in which said pointer is positioned.
 6. The device ofclaim 5 in which a. said urging means is a coil spring positionedagainst said pointer and b. a shoulder on said back member.
 7. Thedevice of claim 6 in which said tube includes a slot through which saidpointer extension extends and overlies said back member.